Research Interests:
Water law is understood as the field of law that deals with the ownership, use, conservation and protection of water as a resource, while water governance is the range of political, social, economic, environmental and administrative... more
Water law is understood as the field of law that deals with the ownership, use, conservation and protection of water as a resource, while water governance is the range of political, social, economic, environmental and administrative mechanisms employed to develop and manage water resources, as well as to provide water services at different levels of society. When combined, these two concepts provide communities and nations with the tools needed to sustainably manage freshwater resources in an increasingly complex and ...
Research Interests:
The existing legal framework for water resources management in Guatemala is obsolete, inconsistent and not enforced. To bridge the gap, many indigenous and non-indigenous communities throughout the country successfully regulate water use... more
The existing legal framework for water resources management in Guatemala is obsolete, inconsistent and not enforced. To bridge the gap, many indigenous and non-indigenous communities throughout the country successfully regulate water use through oral or written bylaws. This paper classifies the rules and practices adopted by local communities in order to define their scope and anticipate options to recognize customary water rights in future statutory legislation, as well as under the current legal regime, consistently with the public interest.